Last week, I was interrupted during a work shift at the ASUCD CoffeeHouse by two students (Justin Gold and Gianni Rosas-Maxemin) who asked if they could take my picture for a political science class project. As a student with many class projects myself, I complied. They asked me to hold a piece of paper with the letters “ACT” printed on it. I smiled and thought nothing more of it.
I was contacted by ASUCD Senator Rebecca Schwartz on January 20 and asked if I had given my permission to be in a new slate’s video. I was absolutely horrified to see my smiling face and work uniform misrepresented in the newborn ACT slate’s campaign video. I did not and would not consent to this misuse of my image, and it is unclear whether any of the other students featured in the film did so.
I have contacted the makers of the video to protest this gross manipulation of the UC Davis student body, but they have yet to remove the video from the internet or their UC Davis-sponsored website–http://ucact.com
In my opinion it is completely reprehensible that a new slate be founded on such backward ethics. Our student body deserves better.
Hannah Reff
ASUCD Coffee House Supervisor
